British travel writer, climber and solo traveller Victoria Wilson shares her experience of child begging whilst backpacking in Vietnam. She offers travellers some advice on how to navigate this all too common dilemma.
It was day two on the Ha Giang Loop motorcycle ride in Vietnam. As my easy rider pulled in beside a small hilltop market surrounded by panoramic mountain views, two sweet little girls in traditional dress grabbed me by the hands, excitedly asking if they could braid my hair. Caught off guard, I said yes. It was like a scene from Tangled, as they weaved colourful flowers into my hair.
However, I soon realised my mistake. Of course, the girls wanted payment, and of course I wanted to help them. But a key rule I had learnt whilst travelling was to never give money to begging children. Instead of paying the girls, I bought them drinks and some food.
The next week, when trekking in Sapa, Vietnam, I faced a similar dilemma. Local Hmong children followed my group, asking us questions and offering us help to cross the slippery ground. At the end of the trek, they tried to sell us beautiful hand embroidered souvenirs. I was torn – should I support the children’s efforts and compensate them for their help or could this feed into child exploitation?
In Sa Pa town, local authorities are implementing measures to prevent child beggars selling products to tourists. Messages warning ‘Do not give money to wandering children beggars’ or ‘Do not buy goods from peddlers’ line the streets. However, children begging remains a huge issue, with The Department of Culture and Information of Sa Pa reporting an average of 90 child vendors out on the street on weekend days.
Naturally, if you see a hungry, desperate looking child pleading on the streets, you will feel an urge to help them. It may seem that in giving money to child beggars you are aiding them to afford food and shelter and to escape poverty. Sure, you wouldn’t support children skipping school to work on the streets at home, but things work differently here, right?
Wrong. Unfortunately, many of these children are being exploited. Adults will send kids out to sell goods or beg, relying on their cuteness to lure in oblivious tourists and bring in cash. These children will not get to keep much of their earnings and the more money they make, the more they will be sent out to work instead of attending school. In hindering their education, this traps them in the cycle of poverty.
Children who do generate an income from begging tourists for money can also grow reliant on this practice. They may perceive begging as more profitable than attending school, and therefore won’t further their prospects of a better lifestyle through studying.
Begging Is not a sustainable means of income as it is much harder for adults to bring in money once they grow up. Ultimately, children working on the streets are extremely vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. The less tourists fund this practice, the safer these children will be.
In certain situations, like on the Ha Giang Loop, rather than giving children money, you can offer to buy them food or a drink, or even bring books and pencils for them. In other circumstances, for example, if you see kids begging in a bar or nightclub, it is best to politely refuse and ignore them. Adults will often send children to beg in inappropriate settings like these to capitalise on tourists’ drunkenness to gain money.
Following my experience in Ha Giang, I stumbled across several posts on social media romanticising and promoting paying children on the loop to do your hair, including posts from experienced and generally conscious-seeming travellers. This goes to show how child labour can take many forms and may catch you off guard. It is also important not to take photos of local children, or adults for that matter, without asking for their consent first.
When you see local people in traditional dress or practising their customs, it can be tempting to snap a candid picture, and doing so is very normalised in Southeast Asia, but it is respectful to ask permission first. They will likely say yes, though be wary of children asking for payment in exchange for photos.
Through volunteering your time or money there are an array of charities you can support to help children in Vietnam access education, break out of poverty and get off the streets. Some responsible charities include:
- Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which provides emergency help to street children and homeless families in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Children of Vietnam, which provides services to help children escape poverty.
- Saigon Children’s Charity CIO which helps disadvantaged children and teenagers to receive a quality education.
These organisations all accept international donations.
If you would prefer to give your time, there are also several ways you can volunteer, from teaching English as a foreign language to distributing free hot meals on the street. However, it is important to be wary of unethical voluntourism schemes that may disrupt the local economy and benefit the volunteers more than those they claim to help.
Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation are accepting donations for a project to provide women and girls in the Ha Giang province with the education and resources to build a bright future, safe from human trafficking, whilst in Sa Pa, Sapa O’Chau are seeking English, Maths and IT tutors to volunteer and provide accessible education for local young people.
Important: Always research charities and volunteer organisations to ensure they are legitimate and ethical organisations.
Further reading
- Why you should never give to begging children in Southeast Asia
- Volunteering in Southeast Asia
- Ha Giang Loop Adventure Guide
Victoria Wilson
Victoria Wilson is a writer, climber and solo traveller based in the UK. Read more articles on her Linktree.
Follow her on Instagram @vickyclimbandtravel
